1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portion machine system for layering drinks in discrete layers in a reliable manner without mixing layered drinks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many patents address issues related to dispensing layered drinks or beverages into a glass. Several of these patents relate to producing layered drinks of different colors, which contact the sidewalls of one or more chambers resulting in mixing of individual drink colors resulting in turbid color patterns. Turbulence during pouring also results in mixing of drink colors resulting in a murky drink layering. In addition any turbulence in drink pouring step entraps air bubbles in individual layers of layered drink presenting unsightly appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 654,879 to Dineen discloses a device for dispensing beverages and comprises a jigger with an inner and outer casing. The inner casing carries the selected liquor, held by a bottom valve that opens by rotating the outer casing. The outer casting carries the valve and its rotation lowers the inner casing by the action of a notch opening the valve. The liquor is poured over a distribution disk and liquor runs over the top surface of the disk into the glass being filled. The liquor is on a free fall with a high velocity and does not enter the glass gently since streaming of the liquor is possible. Moreover, the disk is immersed in the liquor being filled. Consequently, removal of the disk results in changes to the layers of filled “beverage” including mixing of colors and/or entrapment of air bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,664,266 to Del Rio discloses a funnel. This funnel is a device for conveniently filling a bottle with liquid. The funnel apparatus is provided with a central opening and a valve at its lower end that is closed by a floating valve mounted on a wire that passes through the central opening. The wire that passes through the central opening is not in close intimate contact with the opening and does not assist in transporting the liquid through viscous flow, rather the liquid flows through the central opening at a rapid rate. This is not a device for filling glasses with liquid forming multiple layered ‘float’ liquid beverages. The liquid is merely poured through the funnel and the float closes off the funnel central opening when the bottle is filled. The velocity of flow is rapid and turbulent disturbing the liquid already in the bottle and therefore the resultant drink does not have separate layers of liquids.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,571 to Busto discloses a measuring and dispensing device for making varied-layer drinks of different liquids. The dispensing device basically comprises an upper receptacle with multiple compartments for carrying measured quantities of several liquors, a valve arrangement, and a lower receptacle. The upper receptacle is turned to line up the discharge hole of one of the compartments with the valve arrangement to discharge the liquor into the lower receptacle. From the lower receptacle the liquor is discharged into the glass that is being filled. Since liquors sequentially enter the same lower receptacle, residues of previously poured liquor mix with the currently poured liquor preventing clean pour of thin layers in a float liquor beverage. Since the liquor is directly poured from the second receptacle, it pours with a high velocity, disturbing previously poured layers of liquor.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,913 to Flasnocker discloses a beverage mixer whereby liquid layers are formed. Basically, the apparatus of the invention is a funnel with a flared inset tube having a notched bottom tip. The funnel is placed on a glass that is being filled with layers of cordial liquor with the notched slide-able inset tip resting at the bottom of the glass. The lowest density liquor is poured first followed by next higher density liquor, causing the first layer to float over the second higher density liquor. Subsequent pouring of sequentially higher density liquor produces a layered float liquor beverage. The liquor is directed to the bottom of the glass so that the lower density liquor is forced to rise up. This movement in liquor may not produce a clean separation, especially if the poured liquor is delivered at a high velocity. The funnel has no means to adjust the pour velocity and therefore the mixing of different layers of cordial liquor may be unavoidable, especially if the pouring rate is reasonable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,189 to Reid discloses a device for use in the preparation of layer drinks. It has a pouring device placed on the upper rim of a glass that is being filled with layered liquor drink and comprises a floatable semi ball attached to a central rod, which passes through a support. The floating semi ball has nearly the same diameter as the glass so that when the liquor is poured over the flat surface of the floating semi ball the liquor is directed to the wall of the glass providing a gentle pour to establish the layers. Since the liquor wets the walls of the glass and is at a higher level than the liquor level in the glass, the glass surface is contaminated with liquors of different color proving poor layering of the float liquor beverage. The velocity of pour is not reduced by the external surface of the semi ball and may even splash the liquor in an uncontrolled manner. Moreover, the device does not provide for any stabilization for the glass, therefore the glass with the device attachment may readily topple over and spill the liquids contained therein. The device does not have a built-in shaped pouring cup to facilitate convenient neat pouring of the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,484 to Danyo (discloses an apparatus for controlling the flow of liquor into a glass so as to form a drink having separate layers. The disclosed device is comprised of a funnel-like upper cup portion with a large upper end or opening to receive liquids, and a smaller lower end attached to and surrounding a shaft portion. Relatively small openings are provided between the lower end of the funnel-like cup portion and the shaft portion to allow a liquid to escape from the funnel-like cup portion at a relatively slow rate, and run down the sides of the shaft. When the lower end of the shaft portion is immersed in another liquid, the liquid flowing down the sides of the shaft will meet and spread out over the surface of the other liquid if the one liquid is less dense than the other liquid. The disclosed device has a funnel with a hole in its bottom to which a twisted shaft is welded. When the liquid is poured into the funnel, it flows down into a glass through the hole and along the length of the twisted shaft via gravity forming a separate layer. The velocity of flow is determined by the hole size in the funnel and the length of the shaft. This free running liquid may have sufficient velocity to create bubbles and eddy in the liquid contained in the glass, resulting in disturbance to already poured liquid layers. Since the funnel is unsupported and is not stabilized, any slight movement of the funnel during pouring of the drink layers disturbs the layer lay up within the glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,164 to Magnifico discloses a device for use in preparing varied layered drinks. The device includes a cup member for placement on the rim of the glass in such a manner that a substantially airtight seal is formed between the glass and the bottom of the cup member. Pluralities of fluid passageways are located in the bottom of the device to allow fluid to pass from within the cup member to the interior of the glass. These fluid passageways are angled downward and outward so as to direct the fluid passing there through substantially against the inner walls of the glass so that the fluid will run down the inner walls of the glass rather than merely falling or dripping onto the surface of any fluid already in the glass. In this manner, the incoming fluid will not break the surface tension of the fluid already present in the glass but, rather, will float on this fluid to create a varied layered drink. An air vent is provided in the bottom of the cup member to allow air to pass out of the glass as fluid flows through the fluid passageways. The device uses an airtight cup which fits into a glass into which a liquor drink is first poured to create a layered drink. The air vent is released, at which point, the poured liquor is directed downward and outward through passages provided in the cup. Since liquors poured are always directed to the wall of the glass, the boundary layer at the wall invariably has the color of the previous layer and when a new layer is poured colors are mixed. Therefore the layered liquor drink is not prepared with clean colored layers but is murky at the glass-layered drink interface. Also, the valve release mechanism via of an air vent has to be manually released by the pourer and the velocity of entry of the poured drink into the glass is essentially uncontrolled and may result in unexpected disturbance of the drink layer created.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,806 to Cirella discloses a liquid dispensing device, which is device for making multi-layered drinks, and more particularly to a liquid dispensing device for dispensing one liquid to float upon another liquid. It attaches to a liquid bottle using screw threads and has internal passages that are connected to a valve for controlled delivery of the liquid to a glass. The device is mounted on a stand with the dispensing tubular member. The dispensing tubular member has a cap attachment placed at a height so that it is in contact with the previously poured liquid layer. The valve is turned to activate the flow of liquid, which flows through the dispensing tubular member and exits from the top surface of the cap attachment so that the liquid is poured above the previous layer. The liquid flow has to be manually controlled by activating the valve and too much flow results in the disturbance of previously poured layers. Removal of the cap from the poured liquid by raising the stand also disturbs the poured layer. The device disclosed is large and cumbersome. The bottle of liquor is suspended from a stand and is not manually poured. Furthermore, the liquid travels into the glass being poured by way of free flow, not a viscous flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,151 to Wilson et al. discloses fluid layering device. This fluid layering device uses a syringe to facilitate layering a liquid from the syringe onto a denser liquid contained in an open-top centrifuge tube. This device is constructed for use with a liquid dispenser, to facilitate layering a liquid from the dispenser onto a denser liquid contained in an open-top tube. A fitting in the device is releasably attachable to the dispenser for receiving the liquid. A nozzle carried on the fitting has an outer opening and a flow-constricting bore communicating the opening with liquid received in the fitting. Positioning structure in the device is adapted to hold the nozzle at an operative position with respect to the centrifuge tube. At this position, the nozzle opening confronts, and is spaced from, the tube's inner wall by a defined clearance which is adapted to produce, with liquid being forced from the dispenser through the bore in the nozzle, a controlled-flow ribbon of liquid down the wall of the tube onto the upper surface of the denser liquid in the tube. This device delivers liquid contained in a pressurized syringe to an open top centrifuge tube. This device does not pour liquor drinks in multiple separated layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,934 to Boissoneault discloses a device for pouring drinks having layers of different densities. This device for pouring layered drinks comprises a base portion in the form of a tray defining four recesses onto which four separate glasses can be located. The device has a support member with a support surface that can rest upon the rim of four glasses. A cup member is carried on the support member and projecting downwardly relative to the support surface projecting into an interior of the glass. The cup member has an open top into which a liquid can be poured. The poured liquid collects at the closed base of the cup and is discharged through orifices provided at the cup base. The orifices are confined to one angular location around a periphery of the cup to engage the discharged liquid to the outer surface of the glass. This device pours liquor into four different cups that fit into four different glasses and is discharged through orifices in the bottom of the cup. The liquid pour velocity aims the liquid jet towards the wall of the glass and the high jet velocity can disturb liquor layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,488 to Basch discloses an apparatus for preparing foodstuffs and drinks having separate liquid layers. The device is for providing superposed layers of liquids of different densities. It comprises a body that is mounted on a glass, wherein the body is filled with liquids through a receptacle having a discharge channel. The liquid is delivered through the discharge channel located at the bottom of the receptacle. Particularly, the body has a spherical float that is connected to a rod. The liquid travels down the rod to the spherical float and is delivered to the glass, thereby forming superposed layers of liquids. The float is preferably provided with a specific surface treatment, which confers superficial microporosity and a roughness. This can be accomplished by applying a mixture of silica and ammoniacal detergent to the float. Such a surface treatment ensures complete laminar flow of the liquid over the entire surface of the float and thus a perfect distribution of the liquid by layers, without eddies. The apparatus disclosed sits on the top rim of the glass to which the beverage or food item is to be contained. The apparatus does not provide for any stabilization of the glass. Therefore, when the apparatus is placed over the rim of the glass a disproportionate weight distribution results, with a heavier weight localized on the top portion of the glass. As a result, the glass and apparatus may readily topple over causing spillage of the liquids and even breakage of the glass. Furthermore, the apparatus of the invention can only be utilized on a glass having the specific diameter of the apparatus, as the apparatus is size specific and cannot be adjusted to fit varying glass sizes. The apparatus comprises a receptacle having a channel containing a rod, which terminates on a float. Special superposed cross sections are used between the rod and the float to distribute the liquid uniformly. In addition the float is provided with microporosity formed by treating the float's surface with a mixture of silica and ammonical detergent to improve the wetting characteristics of the liquid. The ratio of dimensions of the channel to the rod diameter is 1.7 (col. 3 line 35) with a rod diameter of 2 mm terminating on float, which is 42 mm (col. 3 line 37). These large dimensions of the channel, the rod diameter and the size of the float, results in a large volume flow that is characterized to be laminar (col. 4 line 62). Moreover, the connection between the float and the rod is effectuated by a junction portion formed by two superposed truncated cones and an annular throat. The liquid must traverse down the rod and over this junction portion before reaching the spherical float. This device is tailored for delivering liquids not liquor since silica mixed with ammonical detergent is used. Although these additives promote wetting and distribution of liquids over the float, they are clearly unsuitable for delivery of liquors.
US Design Pat. No. D 317,103 to Case discloses an ornamental design for a drink layering spoon. This ornamental spoon has a reservoir shaped similarly to a funnel. A liquid is poured into the reservoir. The reservoir is connected to tubing which carries the liquid to a curvature spoon portion where the liquid accumulates and subsequently flows into a vessel. The funnel has a bent edge that matches the layout and contours of the spoon handle. Any liquid poured into the funnel is delivered to the spoon via a tube extending from the bottom of the funnel into the spoon basin. The spoon may be used to set drinks in separate layers. The liquid is not delivered in a convenient, uniform manner into a drinking glass since the operator's hand stability is extremely important. It is a tedious process of layering liquid drinks, and the pourer will have to hold the spoon with care while attempting to pour the liquid and keep the spoon and glass stable.
There remains a need in the art for a device that reliably pours various drink layers without mixing between layers, and which maintains smooth attractive coloration of individual layers without creating entrapped air bubbles in any of the layers. The device should be easy to use by a single person and operate to layer drinks on a variety of differently sized glasses.